142 Chap. rr. n,Expofrtion xtpon, the Took of J O B. Verf. 18, this promife, thenfhall thy light rife in obfcurity, and thy dark-nes be as the icon. day. Whenwe depart out ot'the darkneffe of fin , the Lord bids the darkneffe of 'trouble to depart from us. While we calf our felves d6wn , he raikhus up , and fets us in the glory of our enjoyments. We complai we are indarkneffe, but we forget that our fins fland in our light and hinder good things from us. As promotion comes neither from the eafl, nor from the weft, nor from the fouth , but from God , fo the flop of promotion comes not from any of thofe quarters., but from our felves t if we were empty God would fill us , if poor God would enrich us , if low and abafed he would exalt us. That advice of the Apofile Yames fpeaks all this ; Humble your felves in the fight of the Lord andhe hail lift youup, (Chap.4 ro.) As for thole who being in darknefle, kindle afire, and compaffe themfelves about with (parks that theymay .walkin the light oftheir own fire , and in the larks that they have kindled; ThisPall they havefrom the hand of the Lord, they (hall lie down in forrow (Ifa.So.t r.) Aman conti- nuingin fin , fhall findhimfelf as much difappointed in labouring to get out ofdarkneffe into light by his own power, as in hoping that God will bring himout by his power. Zophar goes on and draws this general into particulars. There are five particular bleffings laiddown in the r 8th and 19th verfes , all which fummed together make up the mercy of the z rh,viz. prof erity like the noon- day,andcomforts like the morning. The firfl is, Thou(halt be fecure becaufe there is hope. Thobfhalt befecure. iiU9 The word lignifies an aí} not only of adherence but of affil- ranee, not onlyof recumbency but ofcertainty t when the heart dQmfCeYt is fully fetled and acquiefceth in the fufficiency and faithfullnefs tudineen dene- of him who hath undertaken and flands up for our protection. tat eft line for- There is a double fecurity. enidine eecqut- Firfi , Sinful accompanied with the neglef ofgood means, ofere in fàsßrci= and' with a prefumption of a good end. Both are comprifed in preJdu that rebuke given the falle "prophet (Jer.z8. 15.) Thou makeft this people truft (orfecure) in a lie. Spec at fe/u n Secondly There is a fecurity which atìfeth from the a Zings firmitatem ha- of a vigorous faith grounded upon the promife and word of bet lux deoni- God ; That's the fecurity for which Zophar engaged: ; That itxr. Sanft, fenfe is clearly given in the words following Thou(halt be fecure becaufe
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=